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Update Log for the Kinematic Tool

Update Log for the Kinematic Tool

2.0.5 beta
December 1, 2025
Ladies & gentlemen, we’re back and up to speed!
HUGE fixes to work with Blender versions 4.4, 4.5 & 5.0:

  • Now works as a Blender Extension. If using Blender v4.2+, drag and drop the .zip file into Blender, confirm, and play!
  • Now works with slotted actions!
  • Just a bunch of internal version forking (ex: if Blender version is 5.0, do x, else do y) to work with Blender python API updates (my brain is swimming)
  • “Delay before firing” default changed to 0.01 seconds. HYPERSPEED.
  • NOTE: Linking is still not working. I removed the ghost-armature linking “quick fix” from v2.0.4 (I don’t like it). This will be addressed as priority #1 for the next release.

2.0.4

March 7, 2025

This includes a small update for those who like to link their rig from other files. Normally, some of the Kinematic Tool operators currently dip into Edit Mode to do work, and if a rig is linked, those operators would be impossible to use, so this update overcomes that problem by creating a secondary “ghost” armature, if a rig is linked.

2.0.3

September 8, 2024

Just some minor changes:

  • Renamed “Auto-update” button to “Automatic features”.
  • Changed the automatic features “Max limb count” setting to 4 by default.
  • Resolved a bug in “Select Nearest Kinematic Keyframe Column” of the timeline operators that wasn’t selecting the pole bone.
  • Removed “Error Reset Threshold” from auto settings. Ain’t no reason to adjust it.

2.0.2

July 27, 2024

  • Newly updated Prototypers! ~Half the vertex count!
  • “Set + Keyframe Pivot Bone” operator now only keyframes the end and pivot bones. Make sure to key the location bone if you don’t use auto-keyframing!
  • Changed the default value for “Delay before firing” for auto-updates to 0.25.

2.0.1c

May 9, 2024

  • I accidentally left some masking settings on in the Prototyper – f model, so I removed those. If you were having trouble rendering your f model’s hands and legs, either remove the Mask modifiers in the object stack or just turn off the render settings. Carry on!

2.0.1b

April 17, 2024

  • Super minor change: somehow I overlooked setting the rotation mode on certain bones of the pre-rigged models to quaternion, despite saying in the user manual that the bones of the pre-rigged models are all set to quaternion by default, so I updated the rotation modes on rig bones to quaternion (this can be changed according to your preference without a problem). I also removed some channel locks on some of the bones that were a hold over from various testing. Cheers and carry on!

2.0.1

March 31, 2024

  • Using the IK0, IK1 or FK operators now keyframes the FK middle & FK end bone location channels (despite them being grayed out from direct access), as well as the Follow Rotation mode. This probably should have been done from the start, but it’s now apparent how useful it is for working reliably with the Automatic Features.
  • Made a slight change to the auto-update code to overlook certain custom properties in the timeline (makes auto-updating while on IK keyframe columns more reliable).
  • Changed some wording on options inside the Rename panel.
  • The original deform bones used for assembling a limb now maintain their parenting relationships with each other until changed with the “Set Limb Parents” operator. The base deform bone’s parenting is maintained but “use_connected” is turned off to allow the assembled limb to have priority over movement of the limb.

2.0 Full Release

March 29, 2024

  • A complete revamp of the entire system to work with Bone Collections released in Blender 4.0
  • Added a location bone to the pivoting system to unburden the pivot bone from too many movement problems
  • Improved UI by providing the ability to add Kinematic Tool operator icons to the top right tool shelf while in Pose mode
  • Added a Chain Visibility toggling system, which allows you to toggle visibility of inactive chains without hiding animation data.
  • Smoothed out all the problems with the Automatic Features system.
  • Added an easy way to scrub and adjust Automatic Features settings.
  • Created a much better way to adjust the scales on custom shapes that drive the Chain Visibility system.
  • Rigging a 3-bone chain can now be done by selecting all three bones (rather than just the end bone)
  • The addon does not need to be installed to play animations that were made using the tool! (big win!!)

2.0 Beta 0.7

IMPROVEMENTS:

  • Added ‘Dissolve Alignment Columns’ to DOPESHEET menu
  • Added ‘Dissolve Extra FK Columns’ to DOPESHEET menu

2.0 Beta 0.6.1

BUG FIX:

  • Problem with active pose bone inside Key Follow Rotation that was causing an error if no pose bone was active

2.0 Beta 0.6

IMPROVEMENTS:

  • Simplified the ‘Set Chain Parents’ options to just ‘Parents’ & ‘Root’
  • Created ‘Setup Single Bone Follow Rotation’
  • Created ‘Rename Follow Rotation Bones’
  • Created ‘Change Follow Rotation Layers’
  • Created ‘Dismantle Follow Rotation’
  • Improved the Auto-updaters speed and snappiness
  • Moved the ‘Updating’ section of the Kinematic Tool Panel to the top of the panel
  • Cleaned up the wording and design on the Alignment fields
  • Renamed ‘Update Keyframe Columns’ to ‘Align’
  • Renamed ‘Set Keyframe Column’ to ‘Key Alignment Column’
  • Renamed ‘Keyframe Follow Rotation’ to ‘Key Follow Rotation’
  • Renamed ‘Select Nearest Keyframe Column’ to ‘Select Nearest Alignment Column’
  • Updated ‘Add Missing Drivers’ to support ‘Follow Rotation’ sets (esp. for symmetrizing)
  • Updated ‘Update Driver Dependencies’ to support ‘Follow Rotation’ sets

BUG FIXES:

  • Fixed a bug where ‘auto-interpolate’ wasn’t firing after ‘auto-update motion paths’ had fired
  • Fixed a bug where ‘auto-update motion paths’ was firing continuously when off a keyframe column or when no bones were selected

2.0 Beta 0.5

  • Changed ‘Inverse Start’, etc to ‘Inverse Kinematics Start’, etc in Update Keyframe Columns

2.0 Beta 0.4

  • Fixed a missing part in update_keyframe_columns concerning registered chains
  • Rearranged the ‘Maximum Per Auto Alignment’ button order

2.0 Beta 0.3

  • Added timed_motionpath_update to DEPSG, for auto-motionpath update feature even without a registered chain on an armature

2.0 Beta 0.2

  • Fixed duplicates on graph_editor context menu (forgot to remove a menu when unregistering)
  • Created ‘Calculate Actual Motion Paths’ + ‘Clear Motion Paths’ + ‘Update Motion Paths’
  • Upgraded DEPSG timed_action to include updating motion paths
  • Added chains that are ‘registered’ to UpdateKeyframeColumns

2.0 Beta 0.1

  • In RebuildConstraints, removed lock rotation on inverse.base + inverse.middle
  • Removed a separator in Pose Context Menu
  • Improved a bit of operator descriptions
  • Change ‘snap’ to ‘align’
  • Added dopesheet menu to F-curve GRAPH_ context menu
  • Returned ‘Update Keyframe Columns’ & ‘…Interolation’ to always present in context menu